The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-06-18

Here is the boundary as estab-
lished in the treaty stipulation it
reads:
Article 1. The western limit
within which the territories and
dominion conveyed are contained
passes through point in Behring
strait, etc. The same western
limit, beginning at the same initial
point, proceeds thence in .
course nearly southwest, through
Behring strait and Behring sea,
so as to pass midway between
the northwest point of the island
of St. Lawrence and the south
west point of Cape Choukot-
ski, to the meridian Of one hundred
and seventy-two west longitude;
thence, from the intersection OF
that meridian, in a southwesterly
direction, SO as to pass mid
way between the island Of All
ton and the Copper island of the
Kormandorski couplet or group i'll
the North Pacific ocean, to the mer-
idian of one hundred and ninety
three degrees west longitude, so as
to include in the territory conveyed
the whole of the Aleutian islands
east of that meridian.
We accepted this portion of Behr-
ing sea final we ratified it in the
presence of the whole civilized
world, without a single protest
coming from any quarter, and by
the act approved July 27, 1868
Us Stat, 24O), congress declared
as follows to our people and those
of the world:
That the laws Of the United
States relating to customs, COM
merce and navigation be, and tho
same are hereby extended to and
over all the mainland, islands and
waters Of the territory ceded to tho
United States by the emperor of
Russia by treaty concluded at
Washington on the Both day of
March Ammo Domini eighteen hun
dred and sixty-seven, so far as the
same may be applicable thereto.
The treasury department has reg
ularly enforced and carried out this
command Of congress. When this
treaty was under discussion in the
senate, Senator Sumner said,
speaking of the western boundary
Of the territory to be purchased:
Starting from the frozen ocean,
the western boundary descends
Bchring straits midway between tho
two islands of Krusenstern and Rat.
NANCY to the parallel of 50 deg. 30
min, just below where the conti-
nents of America and Asia APP
proach each other the nearest; and
from this point it proceeds in =
course nearly southwest through
Behring straits, midmay between
the islands Of st. Lawrence and
Cape Choukotski, to the meridian
of l72 deg. west longitude, and
thence in southwesterly direction,
traversing Behring sea, midway
between the island of Alton on the
east and Copper island on the west,
to the meridian of 1913 deg. west
longitude, leaving the prolonged
group of the Aleutian islands III
the possessions now transferred to
the United States, and making the
western boundary of our country tho
dividing line which separates Asia
from America.
! In. the Aleutian range, besides
innumerable inlets and rocks, there
are not less than fifty-fve islands
exceeding three miles in length |;
there are seven exceeding forty
miles, with Ounimak, which is tie
largest, exceeding seventy-three
miles. In our part of Behring sea
there are five considerable islands,
the largest of which is st. Law
rem e. being more than ninety-six
miles long.
! Here we have the chairman of
the committee ON foreign affairs in
the senate of the United States an
nouncing to the Senate and to the
world that our western boundary
line is fixed by the treaty, "is the
boundary of our country, the divid'
ing line which separates Asia from
America and asserting that "in
our part of Behring sea there are five
considerable islands, the largest OF
which being more than ninety-si1
miles long"
Shall we surrender these plain
self-evident rights to any power, by
or little, and if SO, why? No III
: quiring mind can look into the his
/ tory of British diplomacy and moi
c fail to be struck with its character
: istic claiming Of everything at first
, In this Alaskan case it has only
: done so with its usual effrontery.